I love the Mall of America! Well, actually, I have two favorite spots there: I love the restaurant at Nordstrom’s, where they serve up a great salmon salad with a smile. And down the aisle, I love to catch a good bargain at Nordstrom’s Rack, where designer-quality clothing and housewares can be found at discount-store prices. And of course, the amusement park that fills the center court is a great spot for people-watching!I’ve just read, though, that the Mall of America now has one more … [Read more...]

Holy Week—the week from Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday—falls this year on March 24-30. Holy Week is a sacred time on the Catholic calendar, for it is the period when we commemorate the last week of Jesus' life on this earth. These are the days leading up to the great Easter Feast. The Lenten season of sacrifice and self-denial is about to come to an end, but this coming week is extremely important for all Christians. The greatest focus of the week is the Passion (suffering) and Resurrection o … [Read more...]

Have you ever heard of the Milk Grotto?Well, I sure hadn’t, until last year. The Milk Grotto (officially Magharet Sitti Mariam, “Grotto of the Lady Mary”) is a peaceful grotto located just a few minutes away from Bethlehem’s Manger Square.According to tradition, the Holy Family took refuge in the Milk Grotto during Herod’s Slaughter of the Innocents, before their flight into Egypt. There in the grotto, Mary nursed the newborn Jesus; and while she was nursing, a drop of milk fell to the … [Read more...]